May 1 (GDI) The Government is to make a special allocation for the benefit of the Veddah community, according to the Presidential Secretariat. This decision follows a meeting that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had with a group of Veddah leaders from Dambana, Rathugala, Henanigala and Pollebedda. The meeting was arranged after the President met Uruvarige Vannilaeaththo at the President's House Kandy recently according to ancient customs where the Veddahs met with the rulers of the country during the Sinhala New Year season. more..

May 1 (LG) Marxists in Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution slated all religious organisations as non-productive and ineffective in terms of the economy which professed doctrines similar to the addictive effects of opium which once tasted would make man its slave until death. Hence they named religions as opium in society and even refused any state assistance to them. The Marxist JVP MP Wimal Weerawansa who appeared on stage as a great socialist and patriot of more..

May 1 (LG) In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, one of the greatest satirical pieces is the Summoner’s Tale. In it the Summoner responds to the Friar’s Tale and attempts to insult the shameless cleric by saying that friars live in the devil arse. Out of the Devil's arse-hole there did drive Full twenty thousand friars in a rout, And through all Hell they swarmed and ran about. And came again, as fast as they could run, And in his arse they crept back, every one. more..

May 1 (IRIN) Humanitarian agencies in Sri Lanka are preparing for the fallout as increasing food prices and shortages put vulnerable populations at risk of malnutrition and leave many families no longer able to afford essentials such as medical care and school tuition. The global food crisis, referred to by World Food Programme (WFP) officials as "the silent tsunami" during a summit in London on 22 April, is hitting home. more..

May 1 (Bernama) Sri Lanka business leaders are urging Malaysian investors to turn strategically-located Colombo into a South Asian gateway and explore ways to enter markets in the region, where one-fourth of the world's population live. Businessmen in Colombo say Malaysian investors continue to bypass the war-torn island state and are yet to fully tap into Sri Lanka's potential as a trading or a production base. more..

May 1 (LD) The Election Incidents Monitoring Unit of the United Nation Party Central Bureau has reported yet another election-related violent incident from the Kalkudah electorate in Batticaloa. The Bureau has notified the Commissioner of Elections, the IGP, the DIG (Elections) and DIG (Batticaloa) of the incident, pursuant to a complaint by the party's Provincial Councilor K. Velauthan. more..

May 1 (BBC) President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s political ally, JVP says doors are still open for party dissidents to engage in a dialogue. JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva told journalists in Colombo that the dissidents do not have to set conditions through media as they know where the party HQ is. The JVP was commenting on parliamentary group leader, Wimal Weerawansa setting a deadline until 01 May for the party hierarchy to offer talks over the split. more..

May 1 (IANS) A Sri Lankan national working with the World Food Programme (WFP) of the UN was arrested Wednesday with a micro pistol in his possession at a security roadblock in the north of the island nation. 'The suspect was travelling from Kilinochchi to Batticaloa when he was arrested by the security forces at the Irattaperiyakulam road block in Vavuniya around 12.45 p.m. on Wednesday,' the defence ministry here said. more..

May 1 (TMG) Everyone knows Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his work highlighting the dangers of climate change but people tend to forget his co-laureates. Not in Sri Lanka. The country is rightly proud of Professor Mohan Munasinghe, who as vice chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, was instrumental in waking the world up to the problems we face as the polar ice caps melt, desertification increases and millions of people are displaced by flooding. more..

May 1 (FI) My interpretation of the present impasse in the politics of Sri Lanka, determined as it is by the competitive jostling-cum-conflicts between the three main ethnic groups (where “Muslim” is ‘ethnic’ by virtue of its relationship of opposition to “Sinhalese”and “Tamil” in the same sentence), leans towards an emphasis on how one should address present circumstances. more..

May 1 (GV) Any satisfactory answer to this question must examine, and consider the root causes for this problem; however, the solution must be sensitive to the numerous complexities brought about by the conflict itself. In the case of Sri Lanka, it would be naive examine this problem from a purely pre-1983 perspective. The fundamental cause for this conflict is the perception by one race that the other race was privileged; there was a general perception racial inequality was prevalent. more..

May 1 (AHRC) On 27 March 2008, during the 5th school period there was no teacher in Tharindu's class. The boys were restless. A boy sitting a little away from Tharindu had aimed and hit him with a rubber band. Tharindu in return hit the boy. The Deputy Principal Ariyavansa who was passing saw this incident. He caught Tharindu by the scruff of his neck and dragged him out of the classroom to the play ground and started to assault him. more..

May 1 (AP) Sri Lankan troops overran a key Tamil Tiger rebel base in the island's embattled north and fought for hours in surrounding villages, killing at least 51 insurgents, the military said. The fighting began at dawn Wednesday when soldiers backed by artillery and mortar fire advanced into Tamil Tiger territory and attacked rebel positions in two villages in Mannar district, killing 11 rebels, more..

May 1 (SLW) The UK based LTTE frontline activist Sockalingam Karunalingam known as Kannan who is the head of the LTTE front Tharisanam TV in the UK is spearheading a campaign to boycott the Marks & Spenser products by the Tamils. The campaign has been initiated following a visit by a CEO of Marks & Spenser Sir Stuart Rose. Website associated with the Tharisanam TV reported ‘a visiting top executive of Marks and Spencer (M&S), more..

May 1 (SLW) News has reached us that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has unloaded at least one floating warehouse of arms and especially a large quantity of artillery shells from either Chalai, Mullaithivu or Alampil in the Northeastern coast. So far, the Tigers have launched two heavy artillery barrages at Weli Oya. Described in military terms as a harassing fire, the barrages came after a long lull where only a few intermittent shells were fired by the Tigers until a few days ago. more..

May 1 (LG) "Priceless is the sacrifice of a life in defence of democracy and peoples' rights and in resistance to terror and oppression". This quote by President Premadasa adorns the plaque of his statue at Hulftsdorf. When I commissioned the statue in 1993, 1 chose this quote because it correctly defines the sacrifice President Premadasa made on the May Day of 1993. more..

May 1 (LG) The public service of today – to say the least – is probably in its lowest ever ebb. I say this with responsibility. Today if you go to any public department, office or corporate body to get any work done, you will be simply pushed from pillar to post. Hardly can you get even a very trivial job done in a hurry. At every nook and corner you are compelled to 'oil the palm' of someone or the other. Today nothing can be done for ‘summa’. more..

May 1 (LG) “Terrorism remained a serious problem in the region, directly and indirectly threatening American interests and lives. Increasingly, South and Central Asian terrorists expanded their operations and networks across the region and beyond. To varying degrees, U.S. cooperation with regional partners on counterterrorism issues continued to increase, but much is left to be accomplished,” US State Department said it newly released report on Counter Terrorism. more..

May 1 (LG) According to important and a reliable source close to the central government of India, it is confirmed that ‘the Government of India is intending to halt all military facilitation and aid to Sri Lanka if the Government of Sri Lanka does not pursue a sincere path of finding a political solution to the conflict following the Provincial Government election in the East on May 10, 2008.’ more..

May 1 (AT) The army headquarters say 9th group of the Sri Lanka army that has been assigned to peacekeeping missions in Haiti will leave the country in the next few days. The group comprises 200 security personnel. In addition a battalion of 750 soldiers of the Gamunu regiment of the Sri Lanka army will also be sent to serve in Haiti as UN peacekeepers. A parade of these security personnel was held at the headquarters of the artillery regiment in Panagoda on Monday. more..

May 1 (AT) The International isolation of the LTTE may eventually force it to abandon its campaign of terror and return to the negotiating table. It also would send a message to all terrorist organisations that Australia rejects terrorism in all its forms, and that it applies the same uniform standard when dealing with terrorist groups across the world. more..

May 1 (AT) Addressing a Security Council meeting on Small Arms, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN Prasad Kariayawasam said that Sri Lanka, like several other countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, suffers from violence and terrorism perpetrated by a non-state actor using ill-gotten small arms and light weapons, as well as ammunition. This terrorist group wreaks havoc in some parts of the country and their campaign of terror has continued unabated, more..

May 1 (LT) JVP in its May Day message says that the true meaning of the International Workers Day can be realized by nothing else and only by rallying all patriotic forces led by the working people into a broad anti - imperialist front against imperialism and its covert and overt local agents. JVP May Day message reads... Today we celebrate the May Day facing a number of challenges. more..

May 1 (LD) Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for a political solution that devolves powers and is acceptable to the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities as means to end the war. The UNP has unveiled its political solutions for the resolution of the national conflict, he said, adding that on the contrary, the government was yet to submit its proposals. more..

May 1 (LD) Members of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons say that they stand by their concluding public statement. In a statement, they said the government of Sri Lanka has proclaimed that Justice P.N. Bhagwati, Chairman of the IIGEP, has clarified their assessment that the government lacked the political will to ensure the success of the Commission of Inquiry. more..

May 1 (LD) The JHU has said that there was no special need to declare the Madhu Church in Mannar as a zone of peace. The Catholic Church as well as the Catholic clergy led by Bishop Rayappu Joseph should be told to restore the Madhu statue at the church, Secretary of the JHU Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera said in a statement. The JHU said in its statement that the heroic security forces liberated the Madhu Church that had been desecrated by the invasion of the barbaric Tiger terrorists. more..

May 1 (LD) The UNP has called for the appointment of a competent authority to oversee state electronic media for the duration of the eastern polls. The UNP says the SLBC's Tamil Channel Pirai FM 102 is being used for promotion work of the UPFA and its candidates at the Eastern Provincial Council polls. The complaint to the Election Incidents Monitoring Unit of the UNP Central Bureau by UNP chief ministerial candidate for Digamadulla M.T. Hassan Ali has been referred to the Elections Commissioner. more..

May 1 (LD) The Patriotic National Movement has disagreed with the JVP's claim that the Pillayan Group is an automation of India. Its president Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara told the media in Colombo yesterday that there was no acceptable evidence to substantiate the claim. Pillayan is today in democratic politics and he was not involved in any unlawful act during the recent elections, which are indications that he is not dancing to the tune of India, Dr. Amarasekara said. more..

May 1 (LD) The Commonwealth Youth Ministers’ Conference held at the BMICH, Colombo and concluded yesterday agreed that youth in society needs to be empowered for peace building. They conceded it is youth who are mainly sacrificed in every conflict. Speaking at the inauguration of the Conference on 27th April, President Rajapaksa said, “The theme of this meeting, Youth and Peace Building, can benefit from Sri Lanka’s own experience, more..

May 1 (GDI) Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka, in his May Day message said that it is the responsibility and duty of a progressive government to grant the rights of workers and protect what they have won. The full text of his message is given below: I salute the workers of Sri Lanka on this May Day. We have in Sri Lanka today a Government that realizes the value and importance of the working class. more..

May 1 (GDI) President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his May Day message, said that the Government remains committed to affirm the many victories won by the working class in the country. He also expressed his gratitude to the working for having extended its support to the Government with patience to overcome the challenge of defeating terrorism and ushering in peace. more..

May 1 (LeN) Former Minister and Mayor of Colombo Municipal Council Sirisena Cooray filed a civil case in Colombo District Court against the independent group that contested under ‘Spectacle’ symbol for the Municipal Council election in 2006 for breach of an agreement. Mr. Sirisena Cooray named group leader M.S. Rajendran as the respondent of the case. Mr. Cooray states in his petition that the said independent group that contested the more..

May 1 (Hindu) The Minister for Education and Industries of the Sri Lankan Central Province, V. Radhakrishnan, visited the Lakshmi Narayani temple in Sripuram in Thirumalaikkodi near here on Wednesday. He spent about two hours going round the Lakshmi Narayani Temple and the Narayani Temple in the Narayani Peedam in Thirumalaikkodi. Later, he visited the Muthu Mandapam, containing the tombstone of Vikrama Raja Singhan, the last Tamil king who ruled Candy, more..

May 1 (LNP) Adding a comical twist to the Eastern PC polls, a 17-year-old school girl in Ampara received an official telegram summoning her to attend a seminar organised to educate Senior Presiding Officers of the area. Jeevani Kalyani a resident of Weeragoda, received this official telegram requesting her attendance at a seminar to be held on April 29 at 10 a.m. at the Ampara District Office. It was sent by the Returning Officer of the district. more..

May 1 (LNP) Government yesterday decided to implement the proposal of the National Transport Commission (NTC) to rotate SLCTB and private buses to operate on a common coordinated timetable from May 1st this morning, Director of Operations and monitoring (NTC) Mrs Vijitha Weerasinghe said yesterday. The decision was taken in the face of strong objections by private bus operators beyond Matara. more..

May 1 (SAMN) The Colombo Magistrate fined some polythene dealers for stocking and selling polythene that were not in conformity with the Government standards. Central Environmental Authority yesterday produced four traders for stocking and selling non standard polythene to the customers before the Colombo Additional Magistrate Majula Thilakaratne and were fined Rs 3000 each. more..

May 1 (SAMN) The University of Prince Edward Island of Canada had pledged to conduct teacher training programmes in Sri Lankan Universities. The pledge was made by Dr.Vianne Timmons, Vice President of the Canadian University, to the Minister of Higher Education Prof. Wiswa Warnapala yesterday in a meeting at the Ministry. Dr. Timmons said that she was happy to be in Sri Lanka to assist the universities in teacher training programmes. more..

May 1 (SAMN) The LTTE launched artillery attacks towards several villages in Welioya yesterday morning injuring at least one civilian, the defence ministry said while claiming fighting between the military and the LTTE in the north killed 34 rebels and one soldier. The ministry said that Tigers in Ethawetunuwewa, Welioya, fired several artillery rounds at Tissapura, Padaviya villages in the morning yesterday. more..

May 1 (SAMN) Government defence spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday the Government believed that Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe did not face any threat because of the political alliances his party has formed for the Eastern Provincial Council polls. “He has teamed up with the LTTE proxy TNA and LTTE sympathizer Rauff Hakeem to campaign in the East for the PC polls and therefore does not attract any threat from the terrorist outfit” he said. more..

May 1 (DN) Floods and landslides which accompanied the heavy deluge, specially during the last two days, were showing signs of receding but had left nine people dead and over 50,000 affected in eight districts, authorities said yesterday. Weather experts predict more heavy showers accompanied by lightning and strong winds during the next 45 days (specially after two weeks) with the monsoon reaching its climax. more..

May 1 (DN) No sooner we entered the Grade Three classroom at the Yalabowa Primary School at Wellawaya in Badulla District we were amazed to see the students' mathematical skills and we wondered how they were when doing the calculations so quickly. Rashmi Navoda, a student at Yalabowa Primary School was the fastest student who completed 100 box calculations in 2.44 minutes. In other words she has taken only 1.64 seconds to complete a calculation. more..

May 1 (Island) The Government has already commenced a massive programme to provide employment oriented development programmes for youth, especially the Tamil speaking youth in the Eastern Province, with the participation of the private sector, the Central government and billions of rupees in foreign assistance from funding Agencies, Senior Advisor to the President Basil Rajapaksa (MP) said. more..

May 1 (Island) SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem had betrayed the national identity of the Muslim community to the LTTE by signing an MoU with it during the last UNP regime and as a result the Muslim community in the East had suffered untold hardships, Power and Energy Minister and UPFA Elections co-ordinator for the Tricomalee district W. D. J Seneviratne said at a Provincial Council election rally in Kantale recently. more..

May 1 (DM) The Investigations Unit of the Piliyandala police have taken into custody the main suspect in last Friday’s bus bombing at Piliyandala, together with two accomplices. One of the accomplices is a Sinhala youth and the other a Tamil youth from Nuwara Eliya. Piliyandala Police said the main suspect was a resident of Kilinochchi. He had told police that he detonated the bomb using a remote control device. more..

May 1 (DM) The JVP alleged yesterday that 21 schools in Dehiattakandiya had been ordered closed for 10 days for the SLFP May Day rally to be held in the area. Leader of the JVP group contesting for the Digamadulla District at the Provincial Council election Krishantha Priyadarshana said these schools had been closed from April 25 until May 5 as members of the forces and the staffs of various ministries are accommodated in them. more..

May 1 (LBO) Sri Lanka has signed up additional funds to augment a highway to the south of the island which is jointly financed by the Asian Development Bank and the Japan, the finance ministry said. The 90 million dollar supplementary loan will finance a 29.3 kilometre stretch on the Southern Highway starting from Kurundugahahetekma to Pinndaduwa, and a 6 kilometre access road to the southern town of Galle. more..

May 1 (Dawn) Fuelling a domestic civil war which gets bloodier by the hour, Sri Lanka’s foreign policy under President Mahinda Rajapakse has been tilted heavily towards what the UPFA government describes as ‘non-preaching’ countries such as China, Myanmar, or Pakistan and now there is another friend, Iran who has been clutched to Sri Lanka’s bosom. Iran and Sri Lanka are committed to protecting each others territorial integrity and security, more..

May 1 (IANS) Arjuna Ranatunga, head of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) interim governing body, Thursday removed its media manager allegedly for 'being too good with the media'. SLC media manager Samantha Algama said SLC CEO Dulip Mendis had Wednesday night informed him of the decision by Ranatunga 'to remove him with immediate effect'. Mr. Mendis said that Arjuna Ranatunga has told him to inform me that the SLC no longer required my service as media manager. more..

May 1 (AP) Suspected Tamil rebels detonated a roadside bomb in government-controlled territory in northern Sri Lanka on Thursday, killing two police officers and sparking a clash that left two rebels dead, the military said. Other battles in the north killed 13 rebels and four soldiers, the military said in a statement. Two officers from the elite police Special Task Force unit were inspecting an area in the northern Anuradhapura district just more..